Austin quoted in the newspaper.

Check it out!!!! http://www.tampabay.com/hometeam/blog/northside-christian-christmas-tournament-northside-boys-flaunt-growth-reach-final/7826/

Austin seems to be doing really well in basketball this year. Well enough that the St. Pete Times interviewed him after dropping 11 points in the fourth quarter to help Palm Harbor win in their tournament.

Austin you are awesome.

Hazel Brooke Perkins

Here is Hazel! She was born Monday morning at 7:40 am. 8 lbs 2 oz and 20 3/4 inches long. She's struggling a little with jaundice but seems to be getting better every day. Other than that she is healthy. I on the other hand ended up getting a C Section after a long labor and very little progress. I'm still recovering but as long as my medicine is working I'm great! I've been meaning to put pictures up all week but this being a mother thing takes up a lot of time. Who would've thought? Here are some pictures we took this week. Mom and the girls are here helping a lot by making dinner and cleaning. Randy is also great with Hazel! It's so great watching him be a dad. Hopefully I'll have more pictures this week.

There are rows and rows of these blossoming trees! The picture does no justice to the magnitude of the trees. We sat on a bench and me a lady and her son from Polland. She spoke
very little english but Pierson ran around with her son! He had a great time and so did I. It was very relaxing!

Pierson and I went to the Botanical Gardens while I was in New York. I never imagined that New York had so much beauty! I always call it the cement city. We spent most of the afternoon just walking around the gardens and enjoying the amazing flowers. There are more pictures to come........

It's a GIRL!

I had my 18 week sonogram today and IT'S A GIRL! She had her back to us almost the whole time so this is the best picture we could get of her face. The other picture is looking up at her butt. The technician said she is a really active baby, which is true, because I can feel her moving all the time. Mom already has her name picked out as Lacey! We'll see about that.

Elder Glaus: Letter 1

Well i have less than three weeks left here at the MTC and then I'm off to The Redwood Empire!!! I cant wait to go but i still have a lot more studying to do.
I'm not district leader anymore. I got released this last Sunday and one of my companions Elder Jones got called to be it. I am now however the senior companion in our companionship.

Christmas was amazing!!! Our district woke up and went to our classroom to open presents and we had two devotionals. L Tom Perry came and Greg Olsen who paints a bunch of pictures and I have a few of them hanging in my room. There talks were amazing like usual. I always get something new from them.

Oh and thanks for fall the food mom and dad but i think that will be enough chocolate for a while. I'm getting kind of sick of it lol. I see Sister Glaus and Sister Hashey all the time and we get to talk for a little when i have time.
I love the book Sister Glaus made for me with all the pictures of the family. I cant wait to start putting some pictures from my mission in there.

Well anyways the Spanish is great. I love speaking it and we taught the first lesson to fake investigators 4 or 5 times.
Well i hope all is going well and tell everybody i said hi and to have a happy New
years.

Elder Glaus

Sestra Glaus: Letter 1

A lot of people say the first four days at the MTC are really hard... it was actually not like that for me at all. I was greeted by Sorella Hashey with whom I had my farewell with and she showed me to my room! It was a really smooth transition. As soon as she took me up the elevator to my room, Hermana Kari Patterson was right around the corner! I know her from BYU Idaho and we talk every night... in the tinsy wincy amount of time that they give us to ourselves.
As soon as I dropped off my stuff Sorella Hashey took me to check in and meet my district! And my predictions were right... I am a solo sister. this means that I am the only sister that sits in class with 10 elders every day, and the rest of the day, like when I go to eat and when I'm in my residence hall, I am with my 2 companions. i love them by the way. They are just great and we laugh all the time, and I learn from them a lot. Sister Dillender and Sister Nelson are both going to Croatia, so they are in a different class for the rest of the day. Some times it's sad that I'm the only girl, but I try to tell myself I'm cool because I'm the only girl at the WHOLE MTC who is learning to speak Czech.... It makes me feel good sometimes.

So there are a few things about the Czech Republic that are really cool. Not only do they have the hardest letter out of all the languages in the world (rrrrddddjjjjgggsss- this is what it sounds like and it happens to be in the word for atonement, sin, and commandment, along with many more that will be coming along), but it is also that highest baptizing mission in Europe as of now! they have increased in baptisms I believe 400% this year and they also have a 97% retention rate!!!!!!!! This is partly due to the member commitment for the missionaries to not have a second lesson without a member present. The Czech people sound amazing, and I already have a love for them!

I feel really blessed, because if you go onto ratemyprofessor.com, and look at the top rated professor, there is a religion professor rated number 1 in the whole nation.... well he, Brother Bott, happens to be in my branch presidency! He blows my mind with intelligence. Wow. I can't explain it, but I'm really blessed to have him in our presidency.

Christmas was amazing last week! I loved it SOOOOO much. Last Sunday we heard from Sister Uchtdorf, Tuesday we heard from Elder Neil L. Andersen, this Sunday we heard from Sister Barbara Thompson, and on Christmas we heard from L. Tom Perry and Greg Olsen the artist. It was all amazing. So amazing that I don't even know what to write about it. Well, one things for sure. There's nothing like the feeling you get when over 2000 missionaries stand for an apostle of the Lord.

Oh yeah! I see Elder Glaus every day. We have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time, so I see him often, but he sits on the opposite side of the lunch room as me.

All we do at the MTC is study study study and then eat... A LOT. It's weird how your appetite is so much bigger here! I'm still trying to figure it out but it doesn't make sense.

On Christmas day there was a talent show, and we sang the 12 days of Christmas MTC style. It was a lot of fun. It was... on the 12th day of Christmas the MTC gave me...
12 hours of class
11 loads of laundry
10 new commandments
9 outbound calls
8 hours of rest
7 lukewarm showers
6:30 wake up
5 hours of gym!!!! (everyone would cheer after this one)
4 chocolate milks
3 new companions
2 haircuts free
and a ROCK SOLID TESTIMONY!

It was really fun having the elders and sisters stand up and yell with every number. I seriously loved it so much, I don't know why.

Wow. Oh yeah. I have a temporary companion right now who had 2 companions from the Ukraine going to Russia, so they were only here for 5 weeks, so Sister Knudson is waiting for the new sisters going to Russia who are coming next week. I don't see her very often, but she's really cool.

The MTC is awesome because everyone here wants to study and learn about the gospel and how to teach it. We are all in the same position. Preparing to go to practically everywhere in the world and teach about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love it.

I have learned SO much in the 2 weeks I have been here. I do not even know what to say, but I can't believe that people live without knowing they can be forgiven of their sins. I can't wait to see the gospel of Jesus Christ change the Czech people. It's going to be amazing.

I try to savor every minute I have here, because this is the only time in my life I'll be in a place like this. I know that the Lord loves His missionaries and loves the MTC. I have no doubt in that and I feel so blessed to be one of His servants.
I love you all! and hope this email actually works!
Love,
Sestra Glaus